Research instruments can measure:
To identify a research instrument or tool appropriate for your project, you will need to do one or more of the following:
Do you have enough time?
Is there a cost and do you have a budget?
Is the instrument reliable and valid?
Is the instrument available for your use?
When searching CINAHL for instruments, you will find articles that discuss using instruments.
There are 2 ways to search for instruments by subject.
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A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests by
For the practicing neuropsychologist or researcher, keeping up with thesheer number of newly published or updated neuropsychological testsis a challenge, as is evaluating the utility and psychometric propertiesof each test in a clinical context. The goal of the third edition of ACompendium of Neuropsychological Tests, a well-establishedneuropsychology reference text, is two-fold. First, the Compendium isintended to serve as a guidebook that provides a comprehensiveoverview of the essential aspects of neuropsychological assessmentpractice. Second, it is intended as a sourcebook of critical reviews ofmajor neuropsychological assessment tools for the use of practicingclinicians and researchers.
A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests is a well-established book of assessments related to neuropsychology, that allows you to search for instruments by subject.
Some topics include:
This electronic book offers author, test, and subject indices. It also includes pricing and publisher information for the instruments.
The DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales) is designed to measure the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress.
It is a 42-item self-report questionnaire that is free to download and use!
The manual, which contains more detailed information, can be purchased for a nominal fee that is listed on their website.
ERIC stands for Educational Resources Information Center, and is a great database to start with if you're looking for instruments used in education settings.
When searching ERIC for instruments, you will find articles that discuss using instruments.
There are a 3 primary ways to search for instruments in ERIC.
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1. By default, you the database will open on the Advanced Search. 2. Scroll down to publication type and select Tests/Questionnaires, 3. Then, enter your topic keyword in the search box and click Search. |
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1. Enter your topic keyword in the first box. 2. Enter tests/questionnaires in the next box and select PU (publication type) in the field type box. 3. Click Search. |
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ETS maintains a large database of instruments that are available for purchase.
ETS allows you to limit your searches so that you only find instruments they have available for download.
There are 2 primary ways to search for instruments in the ETS database.
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1. Click the Advanced Search Box. 2. For the first box, select Order Information. 3. Enter the keyword downloadable. 4. Enter your topic in the second box, under all fields. Click Search. |
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| Option 2: Search all entries | |
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To search all results (not just downloadable), you can do a basic or advanced search.
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1. Click the Advanced Search tab. 2. Change the second box to All Fields. 3. Enter your keyword and hit the enter key.
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Health and Psychosocial Instruments includes journal articles that discuss measurement instruments in the health, psychosocial, organizational behavior, and library and information science fields.
Some HaPI records include information about finding specific instruments as well as their reliability. Check the full text of articles for more information about specific instruments.
To search for an instrument in HaPI:
1. The database defaults to the Advanced Search option.
2. Enter your keyword(s) in the search box.
3. Consider limiting to Title.
4. Click search.
Note: Sometimes you may find the full text for an instrument. Be sure to read about the instruments permissions.
Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests In Print database contains information about a wide range of instruments for a variety of disciplines.
You can search for instruments in two ways:
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| Enter a keyword related to your topic and hit Search |  |
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| Search for a known assessment by name and changing the Select a Field option to TI Test Name |  |
This online database contains an abundance of information related to each instrument. You can find the test category, population, and purpose of the test, as well as identify the author(s), time, and price.
Note: this database DOES NOT include copies of the actual instrument, but it is a great resource to identify information when asking for permission!
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global contains the full text of a large number of dissertations and theses. Some of the dissertations and theses include entire research instruments.
To search the database:
1. Click Advanced Search, enter your topic in the top box and change the search field to Title.
2. In the second box, input survey, scale, assessment, etc, also changing the search field to Title.
3. You can change the search field to Anywhere if searching the Title only does not produce results.
Note: Keep in mind that the dissertation author might not be the instrument author. Be sure to contact the correct author when seeking permission to use the instrument.
RAND (Research ANd Development) provides downloadable surveys to use free of charge!
Use of the database:
Survey topics include:
